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Education Talkback: Teacher diversity

This week’s education feedback question centers around diversity of the teacher workforce in your school. A new national study questions the diversity of the nation’s teaching workforce.

The study, released by the Center for American Progress and the National Center for Education, claims that of the 3.3 million public school teachers in the nation win the 2012 school year 82 percent were white, 8 percent were Hispanic, 7 percent were black and 2 percent were Asian American.

The study contrasts that with a nationwide total study body that year that was 23 percent Hispanic, 16 percent black and 5 percent Asian American.

By contrast the Palm Beach County School District’s teacher workforce in the same school year was slight more diverse. The roughly 12,500 teachers were 10 percent Hispanic, 16 percent black and 72 percent white but only 1 percent Asian American.

That contrasts to a student body in Palm Beach County schools that was about a third white that school year, about 28 percent black, about 30 percent Hispanic and about 3 percent Asian American.

Groups like the Black Educators Caucus and the Hispanic Education Coalition have raised concerns for years about the lack of black and Hispanic teachers, particularly black male teachers, and the need for more blacks and Hispanics in positions of upper leadership. District officials have said they are trying to recruit more teachers from all different backgrounds.

So this week’s Education Talkback question where I want to hear your input is this: Do you think the district is doing enough to recruit more black, Hispanic and Asian American teachers and what do you think they could do differently to have a more diverse teacher workforce?

I look forward to all your input and as we are talking about race let’s once again try to keep the conversation constructive and respectful of others. Thank you. Comment away: